To Leap or Have Not Leaped
by Loolabelle
Summary: Al is leaving and Sam is back home. But is what Al tells him true?!


To Leap and Have Not Leaped  
By:Loolabella  
  
Disclaimer: My usual (these ppl aint mine, but I can always wish.)  
  
Ok, before you read this, I have to say this: any mistakes in information, be it about comas or otherwise, please ignore them. I am simply a humble college student that sleeps in class and writes this at night instead of studying. Also, I don't know if you will like this or not, but it came to me in my dreams one night while the TV was on in my room. Ciao!  
  
Sam was relaxing on a bench, waiting for his, or the leapee's rather, mother to show up. He heard the Imaging Chamber door open behind him, but he didn't turn around.  
"Hey, Sam." Came Al's voice. It was different this time though. It was still gravely, but it didn't have the carefree lilt it usually had. In fact, Al sounded depressed and, well, beaten. Sam turned to look at him and was shocked by what met his eyes. Al was in a straight black suit with a regular black tie and…well…normal everything. It wasn't the clothes, however, that made Sam gasp, it was how Al looked. He looked as if he had been crying- hard and for a long time.  
"Al?! What's wrong?" Sam asked, immediately worried. Al shook his head, attempting to defy his mood and appearance, but a lone tear running down his cheek betrayed him. Slowly, he walked over to face Sam, who was standing by this point. Gradually, as if it would cause physical pain, Al looked into Sam's eyes.  
"Sam, I need to talk to you, and I want you to listen very carefully to me." He said with a deep gulp. "What I am about to say to you is going to be…hard." He laughed without any humor at the last word. "God…hard- what an understatement."  
"What is it, Al? What is going to be hard?" Sam asked. Al took a deep, shaky breath and looked down at his feet.  
"Sam…I am retiring." He said hoarsely. Sam shook his head with confusion.  
"Al, you retired years ago. You've been retired from the Navy for…" Sam started, but Al interrupted.   
"Not the Navy, Sam." Al said. He waited a second for it to sink into Sam's brain. "Not the Navy." He repeated quietly.  
"Well, if you aren't retiring from the Navy, then wh-." Sam froze. "You're retiring form the Project, aren't you?"  
"Yes. I am." Al nodded stiffly. He knew this would be difficult, but not like this. He looked up quickly as he heard Sam gasp. He watched as Sam sat down on the bench limply. They were both quiet for a long time, and neither could make eye contact with the other.  
" I knew this would happen, Al." Sam said, sounding numb. Al kneeled in front of him.  
"Sam, listen t me. You are…going to be in good hands. They, they will take real good care of you. I…I haven't given up on you, buddy. God- don't think I gave up on you." Al choked out.   
"I know, Al. I know you aren't." Sam said leaning close to him. Al looked deep into Sam's eyes and sighed.   
"I love ya, kid." Al stated, starting to cry.  
"I love you too, Al." Sam returned as tears ran down his face also. He reached out toward Al's hand, trying to comfort them both-  
and their hands, their skin, made contact.  
  
***(what? How could this be?!?!? They actually touched?! Read on.)***  
  
  
Sam gasped and looked at Al, then everything went black. Sam felt intense pain shoot thoughout his body. He tried to fight against it, but eventually he mentally prepared himself to either leap again or die. Instead, the pain subsided a little and he saw light.  
Slowly, Sam opened his eyes and waited for them to adjust to the harsh light around him. When the finally focused, he found himself in a hospital bed. He felt warmth and pressure on his hand and looked over.  
Beside him, sitting in a chair and holding his hand, was Al. He had his other hand up to his face and was sobbing. His body was racked with the sobs and Sam saw tears fall from his face. Sam just blinked a few times and reached over to lay his free hand on top of Al's. Al froze.  
"Don't do this to me. Please, God, don't do this." He whispered, but looked up anyway. He saw Sam's hand on top of his and his eyes followed the arm and finally rested on Sam's open eyes. "No. This can't be real."   
"It is, Al. I'm home." Sam choked, tears coming to his eyes. The two men just stared at one another for a long moment. Sam felt Al's grip tighten on his hand and he returned the gesture.  
"I don't believe it. You're awake!" Al exclaimed. He reached over and pulled Sam into a tight hug. Sam laughed and held him back, but something caught his attention.  
"Awake? What do you mean?" He asked as Al pulled away.  
"Sam, you've been in a coma." Al said, wiping his eyes.  
"A coma? For how long?" Sam asked, surprised. He saw Al hesitate. "How long, Al?"  
"Nine years." Al answered reluctantly. Sam stared at him in shock. "You must not remember. In 1995, you tried to leap, Sam. It didn't work and you were almost killed. I got there just in time to see Gooshie pull you out of the Accelerator Chamber." Al explained, but Sam shook his head.  
"No, Al. It worked and I leaped. IT all worked, except the Retrieval Program." Sam said, confused. Al returned his look.  
"No, Sam. It didn't. You've been right here for nine years, in a coma." Al explained again.   
"But I leaped. I went around changing this for the better. You were there, Al- as my hologram! Don't you remember?" Sam exclaimed frantically.  
"It was all a dream, Sam. You've been right here, not leaping." Al soothed. Sam just blinked at him and looked away.  
" No. It had to have happened. I changed things, everything is different and better now because I leaped. It just had to have happened." Sam whispered.  
"I'm sorry, Sam. I wish I could tell you differently." Al said sadly. Sam laid there for a long time in silence. Then he thought of something else.  
"Wait, when I woke up, you were crying. Why?" Again, Al hesitated.  
" Because I was going to leave, Sam. I couldn't keep coming here day after day to see you, talk to you, and you just lying there. IT was killing me. I came to say goodbye." Al said, looking away.  
"That must have been what I dreamed last. I heard you, partially…Wait a second. All those times you talked to me, what did you talk about?"  
"Everything and anything. Sometimes it was about things that happened to me or you, or people we know; but usually I would just read the paper or play the TV." Al said.  
"Like what in the paper?" Sam asked, curious and fearful.  
"Mostly how one person saved another or who married who, happy things like that. Or the TV, like I said, if the remote was working. Oh, for future reference, now that you are awake- if the remote doesn't work, smack the side of it a few times. It will work then." Al said with a smile. Sam stared ahead blankly.  
" It all was a dream. Everything you told me worked it's way in and I dreamed it. All of it was fake and I didn't leap. Just a dream." Sam muttered, numbly. Al just sat there quietly. "So you were here the whole time?"   
"Everyday. If I wasn't here then I was in the waiting room, at home, or on my way here- although I was late quite often." Al said, and Sam looked at him in surprise.  
"The Waiting Room?"  
"Yeah. You can get coffee, maybe some food or whatever there. It's where friends and family go to be in the hospital when they couldn't see you." Al explained.  
"Well, what about Ziggy?"  
"What about her?"  
"Did you talk about her to me?" Sam asked.  
" Sometimes, but I talked to her a lot while I was here, updating her on your condition and all." Al said.  
"I just cant believe it was all a dream." Sam said and Al smiled down at him.  
"Listen, kid, you need your rest, so I am going to call a doctor in here and let you sleep some. God, I am sure glad you are awake." He said, patting Sam's shoulder. Sam nodded to him and smiled.  
"Thank you, Al. For everything." He said sincerely.  
"You're welcome, kid. I'll be back tomorrow." Al said, heading for the door.  
" OK, Goodbye, Al."  
"Bye, Sam. Oh! And I will tell Beth, the girls, Donna and Tom about you waking up. They are going to be happy, and probably be here tomorrow. Well, see ya later, kid." Al said and left. Sam just watched him leave.   
"Wait! But how did…?" Sam started, finally and really hearing what Al had just said. He shook his head, smiled, and looked up.  
"Thank You, too."  
  
THE END  
  
  
Well? What did you think? R&R!!!!!!!!! ---Loo 


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